Things'll Get Brighter
by Ruby Tyra
Summary: Marvel Soulmates AU Series Part 2. Ever have a song stuck in your head? Well, it means your soulmate is singing that exact song at that exact moment. Tony Stark had been ecstatic to learn he had a soulmate. He was less so when his soulmate seemed to know only a dozen songs. For over 30 years... TonyStarkxPeterQuill


_Here's another one-shot of Marvel Soulmates!_

 _I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Tony started hearing songs when he was young.

 _I'm hooked on a feeling! I'm high on believing!_

He hadn't understood at first why that song randomly started playing in his mind: he hadn't heard it recently and he definitely didn't know the lyrics that well.

Honestly, he thought he was losing his mind.

He definitely couldn't tell his parents that though: his father would see him as an even bigger disappointment and Tony did not want that…

It was Jarvis that inquired on Tony's state after he had seen his young charge nearly pull out his hair one day.

"I don't know this song! Why do I hear it?! I don't even know what a pina colada is!" Tony was trying to keep his emotions under control but as a young genius, he did not like the idea that he was _already_ losing his mind and having random, unlogical thoughts.

"Young sir, please calm down. This is completely normal." Of course, Jarvis figured out what the issue was and he was happy to give his charge some good news. "It means you have a soulmate, sir. It means you can find them."

"A soulmate?" repeated Tony, finally letting go of his hair.

"Yes, the person you're meant to be with. If ever your soulmate hums or sings a tune, you hear it in your mind. That's part of the reason I found Anna. She used to sing the most wonderful songs in Hungarian."

Tony's eyes widened. Anna and Edwin Jarvis were soulmates? Tony greatly admired the care Jarvis and his wife showed towards one another and, if that's what having and finding your soulmate was like, Tony was all for it!

"I'll definitely find them!" proclaimed Tony happily, smiling brightly.

* * *

"I swear, I'll find them and slap some good musical sense into them," grumbled Tony, massaging is face.

Over the years, Tony had taken note of what songs his soulmate sang, which ones they enjoyed. However, he quickly realized that that list was comprised of the exact same songs going on repeat for nearly 30 years.

30 years!

"I swear! They must be a hermit! They're in a damn cave or bunker somewhere, isolated from the world!"

Tony couldn't believe it. How could his soulmate not sing or hum ANY other song?! Tony enjoyed the classics but 30 years was pushing it on having the same exact songs stuck in your head all because of your soulmate's dated taste in music.

Take that day for example. Tony nearly threw a wrench across the room when the melody started in his head followed by the lyrics:

 _Ooh-oo child_  
 _Things are gonna get easier_  
 _Ooh-oo child_  
 _Things'll get brighter_

"Damn it all! Get a new cassette you backwash hermit!"

Apparently, the soulmate heard him because Tony started hearing a second set of songs in his head not even a week later.

"Look on the bright side, sir: at least you have new songs," remarked JARVIS.

Tony nearly glared at the ceiling. "Thanks, JARVIS. We've moved on from the 70s to the 70s. Big jump…" He massaged his face once more before muttering, "Damn hermit."

It took over a year to hear something new.

Tony was leaving the Avengers' Compound, getting into his sports car and was about to turn on the radio when the song began playing in his mind. He actually needed to pause before leaving, surprised by it.

"What the hell happened to them?" he wondered softly, confused by the new and sad song he was hearing.

If his soulmate was anything apart from being a hermit, it was that their taste in music was consistently on the brighter mood of things.

Tony had never heard a sad song stuck in his head and he especially never thought it would be something revolving around a father and son.

 _You're still young, that's your fault,_

 _There's so much you have to go through_

He breathed deeply before glancing around. Steve had already returned inside the compound and it didn't seem like Thor was coming back anytime soon. Glad to note that he was alone, he let himself muttered out loud, "Sorry, soulmate."

* * *

Years had passed and Tony found himself complaining less and less about his soulmate's musical choices. Somehow it had increased exponentially and Tony had humored the idea that the hermit had finally come out of hiding and had rejoined the world.

Well, that was a thought that kept him going as he worked alone in a near deserted Avengers' Compound.

Rhodey and Vision were currently away from the compound and sometimes Peter Parker would pass by to say 'hi'. Pepper was in Hong Kong on another business trip which left Tony with only had his robots to keep him company.

Along with his soulmate's choice of songs.

"Now would be a good time to start singing," he whispered more to himself than anything: his soulmate surely wouldn't hear him.

Dum-E did however and began beeping a low tune. Tony stopped his work, turning towards the robot with a sigh. He gave it a look but could appreciate the effort.

"Boss, there's an inbound aircraft heading this way," stated FRIDAY. "It looks like it'll crash."

Tony dropped his tools and raced out of the lab. "Where?"

"3 miles North, North-West. Sending the exact coordinates to your suit, Boss."

"Thanks."

His suit was already molding itself around Tony and the moment he stepped foot on the roof platform, he took off into the night sky.

It didn't take long for Tony to spot the incoming aircraft and flew up beside it. FRIDAY had been right about it looking like it was going to crash as it flew in a steady decline without any signs of slowing down. Tony wasn't about to let that happen.

He would just need to deal with what type of aircraft he was looking at once it was safely on the ground.

"FRIDAY, scan it. I want as much information as you can on this UFO by the time I get it on the ground."

"Yes, Boss."

Tony then flew underneath the aircraft – he didn't want to think of it as a spaceship just yet. He still had reservations on anything space related ever since New York… He increased the thrusters of his suit, pushing back against the aircraft's descent and managing to slow it down.

The question became how he was planning on getting it to the ground without it squishing him…

His options didn't look good considering the mere size of the aircraft and the still fast rate of descent. Well, he could at least get it a soft-ish landing. He scanned the area around and found a small field of grass to the left.

 _Alright, that would have to do_ , thought Tony. He took a deep breath before increasing his right-hand thrusters and beginning to push the aircraft to the left. Him and the spacecraft were getting dangerously close to the tree tops and Tony increased the push upwards as he felt the top branches brush against his suit.

"Time to let go, Boss," suggested FRIDAY and Tony did just that with a grunt.

The spacecraft continued its descent, hitting the ground and sliding to a halt several feet later.

"Anything on that…?" Tony didn't want to say spacecraft out loud but he still couldn't find another word for the machine in front of him.

"No record, Boss. I don't believe it was made on Earth."

Tony sighed, landing next to what he assumed was the exit hatch. He charged his repulsors, aiming them at the door as he waited. He didn't want to imagine what type of alien species was standing on the other side. He really didn't…

 _If you're listening, soulmate, now would be a good time for some motivating background music,_ thought Tony as the hatch opened.

A man stumbled out, disoriented, as he glanced around the area. Tony was only slightly surprised to see someone that seemed human but he still kept his repulsor aimed at him as he asked FRIDAY to do a facial scan of the man. Maybe there was a chance of coming up with _something_ on that man.

"That was a horrible landing, Quill!" yelled a voice from the inside of the ship.

"Shut it! It wasn't all me anyway! I did what I could with the damage MY ship took!" yelled back the man. "And don't say –" He finally spotted Tony and froze. "Oh, hi. Didn't see you there. Uh… We're in peacefully?" he tried, raising his hands slowly in surrender.

"Boss, this man seems to be Peter Quill. He went missing in 1988," explained FRIDAY as she displayed the missing person's report along with a picture of a young boy.

"Thanks, FRIDAY." Tony switched to his speakers and said, "and where did you come from exactly?"

The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Long story. I think we may need to talk."

* * *

It seemed what these Guardians of the Galaxy wanted to talk about revolved around ridiculously powerful stones called Infinity Stones and the fact that Earth could possibly have two of them floating around somewhere.

Insert beacon of attention to the rest of the Universe that Earth should be invaded…

The Guardians, meanwhile, had taken up residence in the Avengers' Compound, something that Tony didn't particularly mind seeing as the rooms weren't exactly being used anyway…

It hadn't been long since the crash landing but Tony was still getting used to the group: to the fact that their mechanic was a cybernetically engineered raccoon; that they had a moody teenage tree with them; in addition to a large man who couldn't understand metaphors to save his life, a terrifying, green-skinned assassin, and an empathetic, antennae alien.

Yeah, it was still something to get used to for Tony, especially when he realized just being in their presence sent a painful reminder of how he had lost his own team.

He had been handling it somewhat well but, the longer he spent with them, the more painful it was becoming. He was getting flashbacks of the time the Avengers had spent together at the tower and then at the compound.

Of the old team.

Of the friends he lost.

Of all the ways he kept screwing up.

He massaged his face as he walked through the corridors of the compound. He needed to clear his head, to get a change of pace, to –

He froze in his tracks as he came upon the Guardians, sitting, eating, and laughing in the living room. Yes, they were insulting each other but…

Tony turned heel and nearly jogged back down the corridor, his heart pounding.

He couldn't have that back.

His mind had flashed back to the night he and the Avengers were all in the tower, attempting to lift Thor's hammer.

They couldn't go back to that…

No matter how much he would have wanted it, they had gone past that point.

Tony threw open the doors to his lab, beelining towards the nearest desk.

"FRIDAY, lock it down. Don't let anyone in."

"Yes, Boss."

Tony leaned against the desk, breathing deeply. He used to have panic attacks concerning space – which admittedly, he still did – and the past few years, have added the anxiety of letting another team down.

He failed the Avengers. Was he going to fail the Guardians too? Should they even be staying at the compound? He should – should…

Tony knelt down, resting his head against the desk, trying to take a deep breath.

"Stark?"

Tony ignored the call from the other side of the door, focusing instead on breathing and on pushing away… every thought from his mind. He didn't know which one was worse out of all of them but he just knew he didn't need _any_ of them at the moment.

Or ever.

"Hey, I know you're in there. Want to let me in?"

That the last thing Tony wanted. He didn't want Peter or anyone to see him like this.

Peter stood on the other side of the door, attempting to get the handle to budge. Since they had arrived, Peter had noticed how… bizarre Tony had been acting towards them. Peter sensed a hesitation with every interaction, as if Tony wanted to join in the group but was… scared?

He had mentioned the dilemma to the others and Mantis had agreed with his observations. She had shared that Tony's negative emotions were sometimes so strong that even she felt the remnants of them oozing off of Tony without ever touching him.

And, just before, she was the one to clue Peter in to the problem when she stilled, eyes wide and fearful.

Peter had quickly gone over his team but none of them had a sudden change in attitude. Lifting his gaze, Peter had spotted Tony at the entrance of the room, having done a 180 and walking away.

Yeah, Peter knew something was not right with the picture and he wanted to get some answers and to help the person that was literally housing them, free of charge and without having asked too many questions.

"Come on, Stark. I just want to talk," tried Peter as he unsuccessfully tried to open the door. "Tony?"

Peter waited a moment but there was no response on the other side. This was going to be a tough one decided Peter. He sighed, letting go of the door handle. "Fine, if you won't talk, I will." He turned around and slid to the floor, leaning against the door. "Did we tell you how we all met? I don't think so. It's a kinda funny story, actually. I met Gamora first. Well, 'met' is a very loose term considering she did try to kick my ass."

Peter continued to talk, continued to tell his story and he hoped it worked like with the rest of his team: offering them a distraction when their pasts caught up to them unexpectedly. He hoped that after he was done with his story that Tony would open up.

If not with what had been bothering him, at least the door…

"And then, I knew I had to do something to buy Rocket some time so I started a dance off. Against Ronan the Destroyer! The others thought I was crazy! But it worked out in the end! I had even started singing to get myself going and to maybe get Gamora to join in. Apparently though, she didn't know the song. Maybe you do! It goes, ' _Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier. Ooh-oo child, things'll get brighter_ '. Ring any bells?"

Tony froze. Halfway through the story, he had moved to the door, slid to the ground, and leaned back against the metal. He had listened to the story as he breathed deeply in and out. Just hearing Peter ramble on was a great relief and distraction for him.

Until he started singing that is.

That song. He knew that song OVERLY well. In fact, he could have sworn he heard it amplified in his head as well. The signs weren't telling him anything good.

Especially the big hitter: he wanted to join in and sing along with Peter.

Tony didn't know how they finally managed to beat Ronan. He had tuned out Peter's voice as he focused on running facts through his mind concerning the possibility that…

He shook his head. Think first!

Peter Quill disappeared in 1988. All the damned songs were released before that date.

Peter only knew a handful of songs. That was because he'd been in SPACE for the last 30 years.

And, most importantly, Tony wanted to sing along with Peter.

Jarvis had explained many years ago that you knew you found your soulmate when you heard them singing near you and you joined in, most of the time unconsciously.

 _Well, instead of a nasty bunker hermit, I have a space hermit_. _An admittedly good-looking space hermit_ , thought Tony, leaning his head back against the door. _Just my damn luck_.

If Tony was being honest with himself, he never actually thought he would find his soulmate. With his work and the Avengers, he didn't have time to search for them. He honestly just liked hearing random songs pop into his head – most of the time.

And if Tony was being even _more_ honest with himself, he didn't think he deserved a soulmate. With all the mistakes he had made, the disappointments he's caused, all the lives he's ruined, he didn't want to add all that on the plate of his soulmate.

On top of that, if his soulmate was indeed Peter, Tony knew he didn't deserve him.

Peter was the – mostly – respected leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He cared for his team and protected them and they would undoubtedly do the same for him. He had a fun sense of humour and could crack a joke with pretty much anyone. He hadn't been a disappointment, he hasn't ruined lives.

Why would Peter ever accept Tony has his soulmate?

Tony buried his face in his hands, massaging it forcefully. There was always another problem thrown at him, always something to hinder him having a _normal_ life. He thought the idea of Infinity stones and the enemies in space were a big enough problem without adding the possibility of a soulmate in the mix.

Tony, not for the first time, wished things were different.

* * *

Rhodey arrived a few days later much to Tony's relief. The inventor had been darting away from the Guardians any time Peter decided to start singing or humming which Tony realized quickly was something Peter did _very_ often.

Especially when Peter got access to _every song on Earth_ from the tablet Tony had given him.

Peter would not shut up.

Before the Guardians had arrived, Tony didn't mind if his soulmate decided to spend the entire day singing the same tunes over and over again because Tony never felt the urge to sing along.

Now, however, he had to resist biting his tongue to avoid singing out loud with Peter.

It was getting harder by the day.

With Rhodey there, at least Tony had somewhat of a distraction. Tony had been pleasantly surprised with his friend when Rhodey had first met the Guardians. Considering what he knew about his friend and also considering the team consisted of a talking raccoon and tree, Rhodey seemed to be handling the group pretty well.

"Tony, I've known you for years and things have been getting weirder since you built the suit. It would take a LOT more than that to surprise me now," explained Rhodey, following Tony into the living room where the Guardians and Thor were hanging around.

The duo was greeted by the team as they took a seat on one of the couches. The Guardians returned to their conversation not long after, leaving Tony and Rhodey to listen and try to understand if the others were talking about a species or a planet or… They weren't entirely sure what the subject of the discussion was.

Therefore, Rhodey decided to bug his friend. "So, Tony, has your soulmate's taste in music improved any more than before?"

Before Tony could respond, Mantis slowly asked, "What is a soulmate?"

That got the attention of the others and their conversation quickly died down. Rhodey and Tony glanced at each other but Tony motioned for Rhodey to continue the explanation. Heck, since he brought it up, he was going to tell the others about it. That was Tony's logic and he was sticking to that.

Rhodey sighed, giving Tony a look before turning towards the Guardians. "Soulmates are two people that are destined to be together by… who knows what force out there. No one is actually in agreement on that matter."

Mantis' eyes widened. "Meant to be together? That must be a wonderful concept!"

"Terrans and their culture are always so bizarre," added Drax with a confused tilt in his head.

Rhodey just smiled. "I guess you can say that."

"I just did," replied Drax, glancing towards the others. "I did just say that. Did he not hear me the first time?"

Peter shushed his teammate before his inability to understand turn of phrases caused another argument. Peter then turned back towards Rhodey. "Yeah, sorry about him. You were saying, about soulmates. Wonderful?"

Rhodey eyed Drax and then Peter before slowly continuing. "For most, yes, the idea is great. It's just finding their soulmate that is the hard part and most just give up..."

Peter leaned forward in his seat, eyebrows furrowed. "It's true, I do remember my…" He cleared his throat and Tony noticed how the others didn't press for him to finish that sentence. Touchy subject was what he deduced. "It had to do with singing, no?"

"Yeah, the idea that a song is stuck in your head because your soulmate is singing or humming it," continued Rhodey before motioning towards Tony. "His soulmate seems to be either very picky on songs or very limited in their choices."

Tony gave his friend an unamused look, especially considering his soulmate was sitting not five feet away. "I've told you, it's gotten better."

Rhodey shrugged his shoulders. "Finally. I've had to listen to you whine about it since college."

Tony resisted the urge to remind Rhodey that that had been because he had already endured years of the same songs before that but he was not going to bring that up in front of the others. Most didn't seem like the brightest crayons in the box when it came to deduction but he wasn't going to take a chance.

Especially with Gamora. Tony knew better to underestimate her just from the brief time the team had been living in the compound.

"I wonder if I'd have a soulmate," thought Peter out loud suddenly, scratching his chin. Tony froze for a second but quickly decided to readjust his position, playing it off. He couldn't react. He couldn't tip the rest of them off. "Considering I'm only half-human, would that still work?"

"And what are you going to do, Quill? Leave this instant to find that person?" mocked Rocket without looking up from the contraption he was building.

"I am Groot."

"Groot's right," continued Rocket, "we don't need to hear you sing anyway."

Peter took offense to that and Tony felt like the next couple of minutes would not be the easiest for him. He leaned against the arm of the couch and covered part of his face with his hand as Peter stood.

"FRIDAY! Play 'Hooked on a Feeling', will you?" called out Peter, glancing towards the ceiling.

"Yes, Star-Lord."

Peter smiled at that victory. "At least someone takes my title seriously! Thanks, FRIDAY!"

Yeah, it was not looking good for Tony. After making mental note to check on how Peter got FRIDAY to refer to him as Star-Lord of all things, Tony pushed his head down firmly against his hand and he really hoped that would be enough to stop him from –

The music started and Peter started singing one of the original – albeit overplayed – songs he knew and Tony almost did need to bite down on his tongue.

Rhodey noticed right away that his friend was struggling, his gaze fixed on a spot on the carpet as he sat still as a statue. Rhodey frowned in confusion for a moment before an idea dawned on him.

Could Tony and Peter…?

"Quill, shut up, will ya?" growled out Rocket. "We just told you no one wants to hear ya!"

Peter did stop to glare at Rocket and Rhodey noticed Tony relax almost immediately. Oh no, Rhodey was going to have fun with this. Trying to hold back his smirk, he said, "I actually wouldn't mind if he continued. The music is loud enough anyway and I haven't heard that song in a while."

Peter was elated that _someone_ didn't mind his singing or song choice so he flipped Rocket off and kept going. Rocket sighed in annoyance but since he didn't want to pick up all his things scattered around him on the floor, he'd have to suffer through the singing.

Tony, meanwhile, was glaring at his best friend. Tony thought he had been saved by the raccoon's insults but Rhodey just had to say something. Tony knew his jaw was going to ache by the end of this if Peter didn't stop singing! Rhodey briefly glanced towards Tony, an innocent smile on his face.

The only one that caught the exchange between Tony and Rhodey had been Gamora. She eyed the two of them and then noticed how Rhodey's gaze kept going from Tony to Peter and back. She hadn't missed Tony's glare either and she became curious as to what was going on.

She would need to ask Rhodey about it; it seemed since he clearly knew something about what was going on.

* * *

"Hey, Tony! Whatcha working on? Something for the Milano?"

Peter came up to Tony and the mechanic wondered, not for the first time, why he hadn't told FRIDAY to lock the doors. He should have learned from the last time he caught Rocket rummaging around one of the labs, taking apart projects for parts.

Tony eyed Peter for a moment before going back to the blueprint. "Yes, of course you can come in, Peter. It's no problem. Make yourself comfortable."

Peter chuckled, doing just that. "Yeah, you missed me. Sorry I'm a bit late today. Vision's curiosity was getting the better of him so I pushed him off onto Gamora and Mantis."

Tony didn't answer, focusing on the blueprint. No matter what he did, Peter had wormed his way into Tony's lab every day for the past week just to chat. At first, Tony had been ridiculously hesitant about letting his soulmate near him considering how spontaneous Peter's bouts of singing were.

However, over the week, Peter had provided Tony some well needed distractions and had even been of help for several of the projects.

Tony just kept up the pretense that Peter's visits were bothersome even though both men knew better.

"So, been meaning to ask," began Peter, hoping onto one of the desks. Tony gave him a look before going back to the blueprint. Peter just took that as a sign to keep talking. "Remember when Rhodey was talking about soulmates? Have you ever tried finding yours?"

Tony froze. Out of all the subjects, Peter had to choose the one about _soulmates_? Tony cursed his luck.

He nearly scoffed at that thought. Tony Stark had luck?

"Not really. Been a tad busy," replied Tony, trying to keep his voice light.

That got a chuckle out of Peter. "I can imagine! Wouldn't it be cool though if your soulmate just randomly appeared? No searching required?"

"Yeah, would be practical," agreed Tony half-heartedly. He should be steering the conversation away from the mere idea of soulmates. He should.

Why the hell wasn't he?!

"But then, what would you say to them? How would you tell them that the two of you were meant to be together? Slightly awkward conversation, no? Is there like a handbook on appropriate ways to break the news?"

 _Don't react. Don't,_ thought Tony. He was slowly getting the impression that Peter may know something more than he was letting on. However, ever since the Guardians arrived, Tony hadn't even hummed a note to avoid spilling his identity to Peter.

There was no way Peter knew.

He was probably just being his chatty self, like usual.

"Not that I'm aware of. People normally wing it," replied Tony, swiping away the blueprints. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"Deal. You could maybe give me some pointers. I know how to flirt but the whole soulmate thing it pretty new."

Peter leaned back, staring at the ceiling as he thought over the whole idea of soulmates. He had conveniently forgotten about them during his time in space, especially considering that the other races did not have soulmates. He figured he wouldn't find his soulmate so why bother with the idea?

However, since crash landing on Earth, he found himself thinking about the concept more and more. What would he do if he had a soulmate? If he found his soulmate?

He knew he would still continue saving the galaxy with the rest of the Guardians. So… Where did a soulmate fit into that equation?

"So, you just randomly get the urge to sing? Like sing out loud?" wondered Peter suddenly.

Tony had been tinkering away on a piece of the Milano and, without looking up, answered, "Apparently."

"But I'm guessing you can stop yourself? Like it shouldn't be that big of a pull."

"Sometimes it is."

Peter studied Tony for a moment, brows furrowed. "Wait, did you ever get the urge to sing out loud?"

Tony shook his head, trying to be nonchalant on the outside but, inside, he knew he screwed up.

And it seemed Peter knew that as well.

"Wait, so you know who your soulmate is? Or at least have an idea of who they are?" wondered Peter, shocked. "Why don't you tell them? Try to find them?"

Tony clenched his fists, trying to keep cool. He didn't want to just vent all of his problems to someone he _just met_. It didn't matter if said person was his soulmate or not. On principal, Tony did NOT share.

"Tony, seriously, dude. If you know who it is, just tell them! I'm sure they'll be damn glad to know who they're soulmate is! Who wouldn't want you as their soulmate?"

Tony really tried. He truly did but that last comment broke something inside of him. "Who wouldn't?" repeated Tony in shock. "Who…? _Everyone_ wouldn't! I don't blame them! Everything I touch goes to hell, Peter. _Everything_ and I can never do the right thing and get it fixed. It only gets _worse_! No one deserves me as a soulmate. I don't deserve one! I –"

Tony was cut off as Peter covered his ears with his hands and music sounded from… Tony had completely missed Peter pulling out his Zune and holding the earbuds in his hands before covering Tony's ears.

Tony breathed deeply, not liking how he was interrupted from his rant. Maybe he should have been thankful that he didn't need to keep sharing his dark secrets but… This wasn't exactly how he wanted it to go either.

Especially not when Peter began humming.

Tony began to panic, feeling the need to sing along growing inside him. He tried to pry Peter's hands off his head but they just wouldn't budge. Whatever other half Peter was must be some strong alien determined Tony.

"Peter, stop –" began Tony in between in attempts to stop singing. Maybe going for the source of the music itself? Tony successfully grabbed the Zune and paused the song.

"I need you to calm down first, Tony," cut it Peter and Tony felt himself relax. At least he stopped humming. "Before I try talking some damn sense into you, you need to just _stop_. What the hell is this talk of not _deserving_ a soulmate? What type of bullshit is that talk?"

Tony continued trying to budge Peter's hands but they didn't seem to be going anywhere.

"And I don't care if other people have ever said those things to you, Tony. Whoever they are, they're assholes!"

Tony wasn't about to add that he was the one to think of those things because that would just open another can of worms. "Just leave it, Peter," he said as evenly as possible.

"Tony, you –"

"Leave. It."

Peter didn't like the situation. Not one bit.

He thought he would be helping Tony by encouraging the mechanic to talk about his soulmate, to encourage him to go out and be with them. He had NOT been expecting that level of reaction. He had never seen Tony show that much emotion and it honestly scared Peter.

He had needed to calm Tony down.

The first thing that came to mind had been music and he had pulled out his Zune, turning it on and shoving the earbuds against Tony's ears.

That at least got Tony to stop talking himself down.

However, it hadn't improved the man's mood.

Peter lowered his hands slowly, much to Tony's relief as he side-stepped Peter and walked out of the lab.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the arrival of the Guardians on Earth when the team received some news from Kraglin and Nebula: the Mad Titan Thanos was on his way to Earth to collect the Infinity Stones.

As the Guardians had described it, it could very well be the end of Earth if what was left of Xandar was anything to go by.

Tony sat alone in his lab, swiveling in his chair as he stared at the disposal flip phone laying on the desk. That old piece of technology was taunting him, almost mocking him.

He still couldn't pick the damn thing up.

Three years ago, when he had received it in the mail, he had humoured the idea that one day he'd need it, that he would use it.

That things could go back to the way they were.

However, as the years progressed, Tony grew more and more hesitant about actually dialing the only number programmed into the phone. He didn't think he would ever be ready to face his old teammates again.

He could put up a front but he knew, long term, it would eat away at him.

"Tony?"

The mechanic sighed, wondering once more why he didn't lock the damn doors.

Peter entered the lab slowly, eyeing Tony carefully. Ever since they had gotten the news about Thanos, Tony had grown quiet. Rhodey had briefly explained the dilemma they were facing, how they would need help and that it would entail contacting their old team.

Peter had researched the rest and could understand why Tony was hesitant about getting the others to help: the way things had ended didn't sound pretty in the news and he figured it had to have been worse first hand.

"Tony? Did you maybe want me to make the call?" offered Peter, leaning against the desk.

The mechanic finally looked up from the phone. Have someone else make the call? As tempting as the suggestion sounded, Tony knew deep down he needed to be the one to talk to Steve, to explain the situation.

He just needed to find the courage to do so.

Tony shook his head, swivelling once more in his chair. "Thanks but I need to do it. Eventually."

Peter nodded. "Alright, it's your decision."

Tony didn't answer and both sat in silence for a couple of minutes. During that time, Tony's thoughts slowly drifted from the phone on the desk to the person sitting on the same desk. Peter hadn't brought up the idea of soulmates ever since Tony snapped at him and the mechanic felt guilty about it.

Peter – his _soulmate_ – had been trying to help and Tony pushed him away.

Like he always did.

A thought crossed Tony's mind at that point. He needed to call Steve, to actually talk to him. If he was willing to do that because the world was ending, shouldn't he have the courage to tell his soulmate the truth, then?

The world could end.

And Tony was getting very tired of regretting.

"You know what, yeah, I know that song," stated Tony suddenly before he could change his mind.

Peter glanced towards him, brows furrowed. "What?"

"That song, O-o-h Child. You had asked if I knew it and the answer is yes. I know it." Peter just sat there on the desk, confused. What does that have to do with anything? He didn't understand where Tony was going with this discussion. Tony, on his part, kept talking, scared that if he stopped too long, he'd chicken out. "I know that one overly well along with Hooked on a Feeling, Go All the Way, Spirit in the Sky, Moonage Daydream, Fooled Around and Fell in Love, just to name a few."

Peter froze upon hearing the titles of the songs. Not only were they the exact same ones from his Awesome Mix Volume 1 his mother had given him, they were in order as well. He had never mentioned any of that information to Tony before. How did he…? Peter just kept staring at Tony, his mind racing to come up with a valid reason.

"They played over and over again for 30 years in my mind. I never thought I'd be happy hearing them again. I was wrong," said Tony softly, playing with the fabric of the arm of the chair.

 _In his head_. Peter needed to take a deep breath before even trying to formulate a sentence. "You…? You and I…?"

"Thought it appropriate to share that information, what with the end of the world and everything."

Peter let out a deep breath, baffled. The two of them were soulmates? The previous conversation with Tony came to mind and Peter jumped off the desk. "And you thought I wouldn't be happy that your my soulmate?!" he nearly yelled out, approaching Tony as the later just shrugged. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Tony braced himself for what he knew would follow. He knew Peter wouldn't be happy that they were soulmates or that Tony had kept that information from him for nearly two weeks. "Of course I'm ecstatic that it's you! Why wouldn't I be? The hell, Tony?!"

Alright, that was not what Tony had been expecting. He was ready for denials, refusals,… _anything_ else but Peter being a mixture of exasperation and happiness.

"I – I don't deserve a soulmate like you, Peter," began Tony slowly, trying to prove his point. "That's what I was thinking about."

Peter was unable to believe his ears. _Doesn't deserve?_ He just couldn't wrap his mind around that idea. Especially considering it's _him_ , Peter Quill. He had baggage, most not pretty and Tony didn't think he deserved that?

"Well, you know what I say to that?" began Peter as he bridged the gap between them. Tony was taken by surprise as Peter easily lifted him off the chair and even more when Peter kissed Tony smack on the lips without hesitating.

Tony was stunned.

It took a lot to stun him that badly but Peter had succeeded.

Of course, he should have realized his soulmate was able to do so.

With a reluctant – almost exasperated – sigh, Tony gripped the front of Peter's jacket and kissed him back. Peter smiled at the success, pulling Tony closer, pressing their bodies together.

Moments later, they finally broke apart, each out of breath but Peter still managed to utter, "For someone who calls himself a genius, you can be _really_ dumb sometimes." He even had the audacity to raise an eyebrow, giving Tony a look.

Tony just returned it, unimpressed. "And for someone _so_ familiar with flirting, you could use a few pointers in the kissing department."

Peter's eyes widened before he laughed out. "Sounds like I'll need a partner to practice on."

"I bet Dum-E is available."

Peter laughed again, especially with Dum-E beeping in the background but he ignored it, going in for another kiss instead.

Tony didn't deny him that second kiss.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed it!_

 _P.S. I do know it doesn't necessarily follow what we see in the trailer for Infinity War (where is Thor?) but I took some liberties just to make some parts work out!_


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